This invention relates generally to an electronic wristwatch and more particularly to an analog electronic wristwatch with hands on the face to indicate the time and including an electronic alarm which is set and actuated by electronic means.
Many alarm mechanisms used to set the alarm time in analog alarm timepieces have been devised in the prior art. For example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 13978/68 discloses an alarm mechanism. However, even in the alarm timepieces of the prior art having an improved alarm mechanism, the alarm setting accuracy was only about plus or minus one minute. With the advent of electronic quartz crystal timepieces, the timekeeping accuracy of wristwatches has been greatly improved, however, the alarm mechanisms have not been comparably improved. Thus the alarm mechanism when combined with the electronic quartz crystal timekeeping capability is still not satisfactory. Briefly stated, the alarm setting accuracy is inferior to the timekeeping accuracy of the quartz crystal timepiece. Accordingly, no analog quartz crystal timepiece with an electronic alarm mechanism has existed up to this time.
What is needed is an electronic analog alarm wristwatch which provides accurate electronic setting of the alarm time, and uses the features of analog display, that is, the hands of the watch, in setting the alarm.